You are the finest, loveliest, tenderest, and most beautiful person I have ever known— and even that is an understatement.

— F. Scott Fitzgerald

Welcome back to A Common Kitchen this week everyone. This weeks recipe is one that I have been dying to share with you. And the silly thing is, it’s not even my recipe! It is actually a recipe from Bon Appetit. It is a classic Burnt Basque Cheesecake.

I watch Bon Appetit’s Youtube videos every week because they share the most delicious recipes and their recipes are extremely easy to follow. In the past two weeks I have made this Basque Burnt Cheesecake, Spicy Chicken Katsu Sandwiches, and Arancini, all recipes from Bon Appetit! I very rarely make recipes that aren’t my own creations since I have a food blog and I make something new each week. So, I thought that I would take break from recipe developing and make this Burnt Basque Cheesecake since I had been dying to make it since the Youtube video came out.

And you guys… this Burnt Basque Cheesecake was absolutely delicious! It is moist, sweet, tangy, and dense with a sense of lightness to it. Although this cheesecake contains two full pounds of cream cheese and two full cups of heavy cream, it doesn’t feel like you’re eating an extremely heavy/dense dessert. I honestly could eat three pieces in one sitting and not think twice about it. It has a strangely addicting quality. It tastes like the most perfect cheesecake you could ever imagine, honest! And I know it might seem strange to not have a classic graham cracker crust for a cheesecake but trust me, you will not miss it on this cheesecake!

The most alarming thing about this Basque Cheesecake is that it is intentionally burnt. It is cooked at a very high temperature (400℉!) for a long time (over an hour!). The result is an extremely moist and tangy center that is covered in a thin toasty crust that adds depth of flavor to this cheesecake. Don’t be dissuaded by the ‘burnt’ factor of this dessert, everyone who tried it said that it was their favorite part!

I really do think that this is my new favorite cheesecake, and Jacob agrees too! We both had two pieces the first night I made it! It is simple and focusing only on the basic flavors that are in a classic cheesecake. Don’t get me wrong, I love making interesting cheesecake flavor combinations (like my Maple Pecan Cheesecake!) but there is something so satisfying about a classic cheesecake that tastes like nothing but cream cheese and cream with hints of sweetness and vanilla.

If you’re looking for something to serve for this upcoming Mother’s Day or any other occasion, I highly recommend this Burnt Basque Cheesecake. It is extremely easy to make and is definitely a crowd pleaser. If you try this recipe or any other recipe from A Common Kitchen, please share your photos, thoughts, or suggestions with me. I would love to hear from you!

Happy Baking, Bella

Burnt Basque Cheesecake

Recipe adapted from Bon Appetit, you can find the original recipe here.

Makes One 9 Inch Cheesecake

Ingredients:

2 Pounds Cream Cheese (4 eight ounce packages), room temperature

1 ½ Cups White Granulated Sugar

1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt

Seeds from 1 Vanilla Bean

6 Large Eggs, room temperature

2 Cups Heavy Cream, room temperature

⅓ Cup All Purpose Flour, sifted

1-2 Tablespoons Butter, softened, for the springform pan

Special-ish Equipment:

9 Inch Springform Pan

Parchment Paper

Directions:

Place a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat oven to 400℉. Using a pastry brush (or your fingers!), brush the softened butter all around the bottom and sides of the pan, covering every inch with butter. Use two large sheets of overlapping parchment paper to line the springform pan, making sure parchment comes at least 2" above top of pan on all sides. Do your best to smooth out the parchment paper against the sides of the pan but don’t worry about getting it perfectly flat— this cheesecake is supposed to have crinkly edges!

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese, sugar, salt, and vanilla bean seeds on medium high until pale and fluffy— about 3 minutes— or until the sugar is dissolved (rub a small amount between two fingers to check this. If it’s still grainy, continue beating).

Turn the speed to low and add in the eggs, one at a time, mixing for about 20-30 seconds in between each egg. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula.

With the mixer on low, slowly drizzle in the heavy cream. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl again. Add in the sifted flour and mix again on medium-low speed for another 30 seconds. Give the bowl ONE more good scrape down and mix gently by hand to ensure that everything is combined and there are no lumps of anything lurking in the bottom of the bowl.

Pour the cheesecake base into the prepared springform pan. Gently tap the pan on the counter to remove any air bubbles.

Place the cheesecake into the preheated oven and bake for 60-65 minutes, or until the cheesecake is sufficiently ‘burnt’ and the center is still fairly jiggly.

Remove from the oven and let cool for 15-20 minutes. Remove the sides of the springform pan and let cool completely at room temperature. Once completely cooled, you can serve it as is (at room temp) or you an refrigerate it overnight and then remove it from the fridge and let sit at room temp for 15-20 minutes and serve it slightly chilled (this is how I like it!)